New York’s Public Integrity Commission has charged embattled Gov. David Paterson with an ethics violation involving a gift of free Yankees tickets for the 2009 World Series that could cost him nearly $100,000 in penalties.

The commission states Paterson may also have given false testimony in the case now being turned over to the Albany County District Attorney’s office for possible criminal prosecution.

So the question now is, in the midst of all this scandal, is he even capable of performing the duties of governor? The state is in the midst of a major budget crisis. Already economically depressed areas are being threatened with further cuts and job loss by the State — his latest budget includes dumping a prison facility near the NY-Canadian border, and the hundreds of jobs that go with it — and it would seem that, what with the allegations and investigations and all, he may not have time to deal with everything.

At this point, politics has to take a back seat. We need a governor in New York who can deal with being a Governor.